Symantec's New Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 Maximizes Internet Users Online Safety

New Intrusion Prevention Capabilities Provide Protection Against Internet Hackers and Online Privacy Threats

TORONTO, Ont. - Mar. 19, 2001 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0, for easy-to-use, out-of-the-box protection against hackers and other Internet threats. Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 detects and alerts users to attempted intrusions by hackers, by controlling all inbound and outbound Internet communications. The product also prevents a computer from sending personal data without the users knowledge - so that only user-approved applications can access the Internet.

"In today's Internet-based environment, consumers need, and demand serious protection for their systems and data," said Steve Cullen, senior vice president of Symantec's Consumer Products Division. "With the new release of Norton Personal Firewall, Symantec is providing users a powerful and easy-to-use tool for significantly reducing the risks of online computing."

New Intrusion Prevention Capabilities
Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 features powerful firewall software with new intrusion prevention capabilities to keep users safe from hackers. Intrusion Protection with AutoBlock intelligently detects common hacker activities such as port scans and Trojan horse access attempts, alerting the user and automatically blocking all traffic from the attacker. Internet Access Control, another new feature, alerts the user when an application attempts to access the Internet. A threat level assessment is then provided to help users decide whether to permit or deny the connection, thereby preventing Trojan horses or spyware applications from making Internet connections without the user's knowledge.

To maximize users' understanding of security issues, Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 also features Alert Tracker, which provides continuous notification of security events and apprises the user of the product's actions. In addition, re-designed security alerts now provide more information on hacking attempts and recommend appropriate responses to attacks.

Improved Ease-of-Use
Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 provides exceptional ease of use through new features such as Security Assistant and Internet Zone Control. Security Assistant guides users step-by-step through configuring the product after installation, while its new Application Scan component allows users to pre-configure trusted applications for Internet access, thereby easing both initial setup and post installation configuration. Internet Zone Control maintains a safe and productive computing environment by making it simple for users to configure Norton Personal Firewall to work with a home network.

Increased Privacy Control
Unlike other personal firewalls, the privacy control features of Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 ensure that confidential information remains protected. Users determine which personal information is private and Norton Personal Firewall blocks that data from unsecure web connections. Flexible, per-site cookie-blocking capabilities ensure that users maintain privacy while surfing the web, while a comprehensive event log details which personal information was sent and when cookies and sensitive information was blocked. Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 is an integral part of Symantec's comprehensive line of award-winning Internet Security solutions, which also includes Norton Internet Security 2001 Version 3.0 and Norton Internet Security 2001 Version 3.0 Family Edition, the market-leading security and privacy suite for connected consumers.

Pricing and Availability
Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0 has an estimated price of CDN$79.00. Users of competitive products and current owners of Norton Personal Firewall can receive a mail-in rebate of CDN$15 for Norton Personal Firewall 2001 Version 3.0. Customers can purchase the products from various retailers, Symantec's online store at http://ca.symantecstore.com as well as other online retailers.

About Symantec
Symantec, a world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security solutions to individuals and enterprises. The company is a leading provider of virus protection, vulnerability assessment, intrusion prevention, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products leads the market in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 36 countries. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.symantec.com.

Symantec's Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, contact the Canadian office at (416) 441-3676 or access Symantec's Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST).

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future technology and products, that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: the risk that the Symantec and AXENT businesses will not be integrated successfully; the costs related to the merger; the difficulty of developing and marketing products that compete effectively with others, new security threats, and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Symantec's business generally. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Risk Factors sections of the Company's previously filed Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2000.